The present invention relates to construction of a connector by way of which opponent cables are connected to each other.
FIG. 5 is a vertical sectional view of a conventional connector a. As shown in FIG. 5, the connector a includes a plurality of terminals b each of which one end serves as a cable connecting portion b.sub.1 and of which other end serves as an electrical contact portion b.sub.2, and an engagement hole b.sub.3 is formed on a base plate b.sub.2, of the electrical contact portion b.sub.2. In addition, the connector a includes a connector housing c having a plurality of terminal accommodating chambers c.sub.1 formed therein with a flexible engagement piece d projected from the inner wall surface of each terminal accommodating chamber c.sub.1. An engagement projection d.sub.1 is formed at the foremost end part of the flexible engagement piece d to serve as engaging means for allowing it to be engaged with the engagement hole b.sub.3 of the terminal b.
A guide projection d.sub.2 having a small width is formed on the engagement projection d.sub.1 of the flexible engagement piece d while extending toward the electrical connecting portion b.sub.1 of the terminal b (Unexamined Japanease Utility Model Publicatin No. 58-134881).
Since the conventional connector is constructed in the above-described manner, it is necessary that a width m.sub.1 of the terminal accommodating chamber c.sub.1 is set to a dimension having some clearance t.sub.1 added to a width m.sub.2 of the terminal b. Since the terminal b is disposed in the center of the terminal accommodating chamber c.sub.1, the clearance on each side of the terminal b is t.sub.1 /2. In addition, it is necessary that a width m.sub.3 of the engagement hole b.sub.3 is set to a dimension having some clearance t.sub.2 added to a width m.sub.4 of the engagement projection d.sub.1. Since the projection is centrally disposed in the engagement hole b.sub.3, the clearance on each side of the projection d.sub.1 is t.sub.2 /2.
Further, when the terminal b is inserted into the terminal accommodating chamber c.sub.1 with leftward or rightward positional offset, the engagement projection d.sub.1 fails to be correctly fitted into the engagement hole b.sub.3 of the terminal b unless the clearance t.sub.2 is dimensioned to be slightly larger than the clearance t.sub.1. Consequently, the terminal b can not be connected to the connector housing c via the flexible engagement piece d.
Thus, the width m.sub.4 of the engagement projection d.sub.1 on the flexible engagement piece d is dimensioned to be smaller than the width m.sub.3 of the engagement hole b.sub.3 on the terminal b by a quantity corresponding to the clearance t.sub.2. For this reason, there arises a malfunction of so-called shaking movement of the terminal b in the leftward/rightward direction by the quantity corresponding to the clearance t.sub.2, and moreover, there arises another malfunction that a magnitude of engaging force effective for the terminal b is undesirably reduced. In addition, when an abnormal magnitude of drawing-out force is exerted on the terminal b, there is a possibility that the engagement projection d.sub.1 shears away from the flexible engagement piece d.